This invention relates to an apparatus for hoisting a vehicular clutch with a central bore comprising a selectably engagable elongated shaft with means for attaching disposed on a first end and with the shaft being suitably sized transversely to fit into the central bore of the clutch, an upright post with a base disposed on the bottom end of the post, a carriage supported on and movable relative to the post, and means for moving the carriage relative to the post. The carriage has a first face with complementary means for attaching adapted for use in engaging the means for attaching to support the shaft in a generally horizontal plane.
Truck clutches often last for only one year and then need to be replaced. With current technology, considerable time and expense are consumed in removing a defective clutch and/or flywheel and replacing it with a new or refurbished one. With this improved jack one is able to assemble and disassemble the clutch and flywheel under the truck allowing for easy installation and removal in even the toughest situations.
This improved manual lifting jack is designed characteristically to lift fourteen inch or fifteen inch spicer clutch assemblies, but may be employed in other capacities were the use of an insertable shaft for lifting is advantageous.
Alternative technology is available in the form of a clutch caddy distributed by Unique Truck Equipment, Inc., Part No. 32000. The principal disadvantage of this device is that it occupies too great of a floor area to allow one service man to operate it efficiently. Another clutch handling device is disclosed in Automotive And Heavy Duty Shop Equipment Catalog, Item No. 5015, which has similar disadvantages to the previously discussed design, and as can be seen, both designs have shafts that required bolting in order to be operative, making maneuvering difficult when inserting the shaft into the bore of a clutch or flywheel with damage resulting to the clutch or flywheel in the event of improper alignment. To alleviate these concerns and others which will become apparent from the disclosure which follows, the present invention conveniently provides for a selectably engageable shaft with specially designed means for attaching disposed on an end of the shaft which can be mated with a complementary means for attaching which is disposed on a face of the carriage. Such design permits the hoisting device to position a clutch for installation or removal and then allow the hoisting device to be removed with the shaft remaining temporarily in place. This is impossible with the above designs. Moreover, due to the considerably smaller floor profile of the instant invention, one man or woman service person can use this hoisting device to install a clutch and/or flywheel under a truck or like vehicle without the need for a second individual to assist in the installation of same.
The citation of the foregoing publications is not an admission that any particular publication constitutes prior art, or that any publication alone or in conjunction with others, renders unpatentable any pending claim of the present application. None of the cited publications is believed to detract from the patentability of the claimed invention.